DIY Wine Ceremony Box Project – Part Four

This is my DIY Wine Ceremony Box Project. In this four part series, you will have complete instructions for making a wine ceremony box, complete with monogram inlay. The first article shows how to make the box, and the second shows how to trim it with exotic hardwood. The third article explains the custom inlay, and finally this article shows how to finish the box. If you use the links above, you can jump to any step in the process.

Finishing the Wine Ceremony Box

For this project, I wanted to give it an aged look that would blend in with the theme of the wedding. One of the best ways to do that is by using Light Walnut Danish Oil.

Danish Oil is a wipe on finish that is very easy to apply and use. All you do is wipe it on thinly with a clean cloth. Wipe until the area is coated, making sure not to leave any thick spots.

If you focus on applying an extremely thin layer to the surface, the finish will come out perfectly. Light Walnut Danish Oil has a small amount of wood stain inside the can, which dirties the surface. This gives the piece a nice aged look.

Once the wine ceremony box is finished, you will need a way to secure the lid. Most times, this is done with a couple dowels.

If you do not want to make the dowels, you can buy axles from a woodworking store. These are ready made, and will only require a hole. They are used for making wooden cars, and they hold the wheels in place.

For my pegs, I used a piece of Wenge to turn a couple custom Pegs. Cut a 3/4″ x 3/4″ by 4″ long piece of Wenge. Chuck it in the lathe, and turn the head down to 1/2″, and the shaft down to 1/4″. Finally, cut the length to 2″ long.

Polish the wine ceremony box pegs with a buffing wheel, or sand them very finely. If you don’t have the ability to buff, just apply a thin layer of Danish Oil and leave them to dry for a while.

Here are a couple examples of pegs that I turned on my lathe. The one on the left is the Wenge peg that I ended up using on the box. I made two of them, one for the bride and one for the groom. The peg on the right is made from Cocobolo, and was a trial run that I ended up not using. The two wenge pegs were perfect for the wine ceremony box, and the next step was drilling the holes.

Drilling and Installing the Wine Box Pegs

The pegs are used to secure the wine ceremony box lid after the box is sealed by the bride and groom. There are two holes, and they are drilled through the lid, and into the side wall of the wine box.

Measure 1-1/2″ in from each side, and make a mark right on the edge where the binding meets the Pine. This should be about 3/8″ from the end. Next, mark for two drill holes, which is where the pegs will be placed. If you like something different, measure the pegs however you like. The only thing to watch for is that you get them through the center of the board below. If you miss the board, it can cause extra work filling the mistake.

Drill 2″ deep through the lid and the end piece, being careful to drill straight. Next, test fit the pegs, and when they seat nicely, you are done. You can see the holes on the left side of the box in the picture.

Making Filler For the Wine Box

To prevent the wine bottle from banging around inside the wine ceremony box, a little filler is needed. Since you are already working in the shop, you might as well make some filler material with your hand plane.

Find a piece of Pine and clamp it in a vise with one edge facing up. Then, shave fine curls from the edge until you have about enough to fill a one gallon zipper bag. Discard any that come out crinkled or fuzzy, and select the curls from the floor that have the most bounce. Broken or crushed plane shavings will not support as well as nicely formed shavings. They also do not look as nice.

Finally, when the bride and groom get the box ready, they can fill the bottom half with the wood shavings, then put in the bottle and their letters. After that, they can top off the box with more shavings, and seal the lid. The filler will keep the wine bottle safer inside.

You now have all the instructions for making the wine ceremony box. First, we made the box, then it was bound with exotic hardwood. Next came the monogram inlay, and finally the finish and pegs. Check out the entire series and you will be able to make an exceptional looking wine ceremony box that will become a family treasure.

If you have any questions on my DIY Wine Ceremony Box Project, please leave a comment and I will be glad to answer them. Also, please share my work with your friends on Pinterest! Happy building.

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